Chapter 15 Kyelle
An Undetermined Time Later . . .
“What’s up with you bringing me to this coffee spot?”
Staring into Kaeden’s hypnotic eyes, I leisurely run my fingers up and down the container holding the black tea I opted for instead of coffee. The sugar and honey mix somehow enhances the tea's flavor, warming me with every sip.
“It’s lowkey and someplace close to the stadium and your bookstore. I wanted to spend some one-on-one time with you before daddy duty kicks in when I get home.”
Looking around the shop, I take note of the few customers who seem to be in their own worlds instead of paying attention to us.
So far, I’ve been able to hide under the radar of Kaeden’s life, which I thoroughly appreciate.
Dating not only an athlete but one of Kaeden’s caliber can subject me to public scrutiny.
But things have been great so far, and no one knows our involvement other than our close circles.
“I’m sure Mica is waiting for you to read her story so she can go to sleep. Do we need to wrap thi—”
“Nah. We’re good. Jaleel is handling bath and story time, so I don’t have to rush our time.”
A flash catches my eye causing me to look out the window to see a man with a camera smirking before two rapid flashes cause me to blink.
“Oh God. He—that man is taking pictures of us,” I stutter, looking at Kaeden as my eyes balloon.
“Fuck!” Kaeden moves to exit the booth, causing the man to quickly run away as my chest pinches at the gravity of what the pictures will mean.
So much for staying out of the limelight I just thought I evaded.
“Thank you for your help. I’ll be back soon,” a feminine voice says, snapping me out of my brief trance.
Tracy waves to the customer who quickly exits the bookstore as Tracy’s attention shifts to me.
“You’ve been looking off-kilter all day. Are you feeling okay? If we didn’t have our cycles last week, I would be asking if that man of yours shot the club up.” Not even Tracy’s grin or teasing bump changes the sour feeling in my stomach.
All day, I’ve been feeling uneasy and like a storm is coming, but I can’t pinpoint what’s causing the anxiousness within me.
“Kyelle.”
“Huh?” My voice is but a whisper as the sinking feeling in my stomach increases, and the urge to go home to sleep off my melancholy mood emerges.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m—uh, I’m fine.” My words taste like acid leaving my lips because I feel everything but fine. But I can’t begin to describe why I’m so off.
“Hm. If you say so,” Tracy says, picking up her phone as I head to my office for a quick reprieve.
I take about three steps before a gasp sounds behind me, causing me to turn toward Tracy. Her hand covers her mouth, and her eyes are as big as saucers before connecting with mine.
“H-have you talked to Kaeden today?”
My eyes pinch, and wrinkles stretch across my forehead at the oddity of the question. “Kaeden?”
Tracy’s head bobs up and down before she turns her phone toward me, and a gasp escapes my mouth when I see what’s on her screen.
#UCRSports: Columbus Bobcats’ cornerback Kaeden Evans Strikes Again.
Somebody be a sport and tell this beauty she’s only the temporary flavor of the week.
Accompanying the staggering headline from the online gossip site, Undercover Room, are pictures of Kaeden and me.
One is from the coffee shop, another from the practice I attended where Kaeden sat beside me afterward, and the third is from the season opener with bile stirring in my belly.
Heat crawls up my neck, and the hair on my arms tingle as I shift my weight from side to side.
The post has over seven million reactions and over eleven million comments, causing my stomach to flip at what people are saying.
“I think you should call your man,” Tracy says, pulling her phone back.
Shaking my head, I wipe the tear trickling down my cheek, quickly replaced by several others.
“Fl-fl-flavor—they called me his flavor of the week,” I say lowly as my throat constricts in pain.
Am I? Has Kaeden been pursuing me until he got what he wanted? Shit, what could he possibly want from me? I’ve already had sex with him a few times. Does this mean I’m falling for the man who’s only capable of temporary frills?
“I see your thoughts running rampant. Call Kaeden, bestie,” Tracy says, snapping me out of my silent ministrations.
“I-I—” My thoughts begin swirling, hindering my logical sentence formation.
“Don’t start overreacting, Kyelle. You know how these gossip sites make up shit. Kaeden has been on your ass like white on rice, so I’m sure they’re lying. Besides, what would he gain from playing with you?”
“Another notch on his belt.” The words tumble out without me being able to stop or prevent them as my shoulders slump at the thought.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I pull up Undercover Room, and my eyes burn as I fight not to fall apart at seeing my picture under such a headline.
Like a hardheaded child told to stay away from a hot stove, I tap on the post and open the comment section.
The commentary from strangers causes my legs to become wobbly as more water releases from my eyes.
Diggsandwigs 5h: This man is just as popular as a merry-go-round. I wonder how much he charges for admittance because I know a bop or two he might like.
B_b.sleezy 5h: As fine as Kaeden is, who knew he loves chicks with more handles than Undercover Room.
Crunch.Dawg 5h: Yo, y’all ain’t tell me that my man Kaeden is a chubby chaser. *pig emoji* *laughing emoji*
Rinnnnyybabyyy 5h: Look at the stars in her eyes. She really likes him forreal. I feel sorry for her. Run girl, #28 is for the streets. *laughing emoji*
“I’m—uh—I’m gonna leave early,” I say shakily, exiting the app and locking my phone.
“Do you want to talk about this, bestie? You ain’t gotta leave.”
“N-no. I just need to go home,” I say over the lump in my throat as the sob in my stomach begs for exit.
“Damn it.” Swiping angry tears from my face, I continue pacing around my living room while my thoughts turn me every which way but loose.
I don’t know what time it is or have a reference for how long I’ve been walking since getting home.
Lifting my phone, I read another wave of comments on the post haunting me like Sully from Monsters, Inc.
The comments are steadily climbing in number, and my self-worth and confidence are waning with every think piece I read.
Yet, it’s a trainwreck I have yet to pull away from.
Dkrpto_1 3h: Sista, here’s some food for thought . . . the more you let this community play in your face, the more he wins. Walk away with your peace intact.
Xxxmanaroundtown 3h: This gives me hives. What can C. Evans offer big mama besides a king-size Reese cup and a twenty wing combo?
SurrealJdeezy 3h: These women really be low on self-esteem. Let me love you right, when he’s done playing wit you, mama. *laughing emoji*
TazmaniaRaj 3h: Here go that WhoopDeyDew, these thirsty women fall for thinking they’re getting a prize. Meanwhile, all bro sees is a bop.
Krissywins 3h: May this typa delusion never find me again. *praying hands emoji*
Regal_Nisha 3h: In other words, he’ll talk u through it and then put u through it when he starts dodging ur calls! Stay tf away from this typa flex sistas.
My breath hitches, and a sob shoots from my stomach through my esophagus, falling out of my mouth like vomit after reading that statement.
“Oh God!” I cry, dropping to my knees, rocking back and forth feeling like a fool for allowing myself to believe someone like Kaeden is genuinely interested in me.
“It feels so real. Gosh, it feels real. Why would he let me around his daughter if he’s only stringing me along?
Wh—” The chime coming from my phone stops my final thought as I lift my shaky right hand as my chest pinches upon seeing Kaeden’s name on the screen.
Kaeden:
I got a quick break in practice and wanted you to know that I was thinking about you. I’ll call you the minute I’m free. I’ll be missing you and counting down the minutes until then. *winking emoji*
“Hm. I bet that’s what your lying ass tells all the women you woo. Ole lying sack of shit.” Exiting the text thread between Kaeden and me, I angrily shut my phone off before I say something I’m unable to come back from.
With herculean strength, I stand before haphazardly tossing my phone in the direction of the couch.
My feet lead me up the steps and into my bedroom as I lift my shirt over my head, tossing it behind me.
Then I unbutton my pants, sliding them over my hips as they pool at my ankles once I carefully step out of them so I don’t fall.
My bra and panties are next to go as I continue toward my bathroom leaving a trail of clothes behind me.
Entering the bathroom, I open the drawer, grabbing a scrunchie, and pull my hair into a tight bun.
Once that’s done, I turn the knobs on the shower, smiling slightly when steam immediately forms. Stepping into the shower, I realize I need something to get my mind off the turmoil festering within me.
“Alexa, play my man’s playlist on Apple Music.”
*Playing My Man on Apple Music*
An instant smile emerges upon hearing the song and voice echoing around the bathroom interior as I bob my head and join in with the artist.
“I ain’t got no mothafucking friends. That’s why I fucked yo’ bitch, you fat mothafucka,” I rap, absent of the same guttural delivery as the slain artist who wrote the lyrics.
Stretching my hands on the tile, I hang my head as water rains down on my body and the heat massages the tension from my shoulders.
Closing my eyes, I get lost in the bass, tempo, and lyrics of the ’90s rap song.
Despite my attempt at blocking out today's events, my mind flashes the Undercover Room’s headline, causing my breath to hitch.
My lip trembles and my knees weaken, causing me to fall into a helpless squat that quickly forces me to change position.
Sitting down, I stretch my legs, and my head rests on the wall.
The water from the showerhead hits my body as unchecked tears fall rapidly from my eyes.
When Kaeden’s handsome mahogany face replaces the headline, I cry harder because I feel more than temporary things for him.
This hurts because I don’t see Kaeden the cornerback whenever we’re together.
I see the single father with a heart of gold capable of being soft whenever his daughter needs him to be.
I see the man whose eyes light up my life with a single gaze.
I see a man who no one would believe makes love to a woman versus fucking without consequence.
That damning tagline alongside Kaeden’s name has me in doubt about every incident we’ve had.
I’m struggling to believe that everything Kaeden has said to me has been a lie or a ploy to advance his playboy agenda.
“It couldn’t all have been a lie, could it?
Playboys don’t cuddle. They don’t stare at you lovingly.
Hell, they don’t rub your feet after taking a dance class they know they’re not qualified to attend.
” Looking up as the water cascades onto my body, I bite my bottom lip before releasing my final thought.
“Please God, don’t let me have given my heart to another undeserving man. ”